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Flaming Lips tune official Okla. rock song

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OKLAHOMA CITY, April 29 (UPI) -- Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry signed an executive order at a public ceremony declaring "Do you Realize??" by the Flaming Lips the official state rock song.

Henry's order, signed Tuesday, ended a debate in the state House of Representatives about whether the song should be made official after bassist Michael Ivins was seen wearing a T-shirt with a hammer-and-sickle communist logo, the Tulsa (Okla.) World reported Wednesday.

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The Oklahoma band said the shirt was an "ironic" gift from lead singer Wayne Coyne's wife. However, the T-shirt led a small group of House members to block the vote on the song after it was approved by the Senate 46-0 in March.

The song was chosen by officials after it gathered more then half of the 21,000 votes in an online poll involving 10 songs.

Henry declared April 28 "Flaming Lips Day" during Tuesday's ceremony at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.

"The people voted for this, a song that most of all describes the people and the spirit of Oklahoma, and that best conveys the finite and sacred moments we have with those we love," he said.

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